Many different types of drinking vessels have been developed over the course of human history. Such include cups, bowls, bottles, cans, glasses, mugs as well as other types of drinking vessels. In all cases, there is a chamber suited for containment of a liquid, or beverage, and an opening through which the person using the drinking vessels is able to extract a portion of the beverage. Extraction is commonly accomplished by changing the vessel's orientation or changing the pressure around the fluid.
However, the opening or mouth can also allow the beverage in the drinking vessel to spill. This can happen for any of many reasons. When a beverage does spill, what is spilt is usually lost, and may also cause damage to the items it comes in contact with. Some beverages can stain various items, cause resident inks or dyes to run due to a solvent-like action thus rendering the item damaged. Examples are car upholstery, car seat covers, home furniture, carpeting and many other things that can suffer damage or even deterioration due to the spillage and type of liquid that has been spilt.
In instances where the beverage is heated, there are additional risks associated with spilling thereof. When this type of drink is spilled, it has the potential to burn people or animals which have contact with the spilt liquid.
Other problems arise when a drinking container is invaded by insects such as bees, wasps, or other pests which are small enough to enter through the container discharge. Many people have received stings and bites from drink invaders when enjoying a beverage outdoors. The invader is attracted to the beverage and are often able to enter the container without the user knowing. Stings and bites are likely to cause pain to the user and can also present serious harm to people who have allergic reactions to such. The shock from such an attack can also cause choking and instills fear in using such drink containers outdoors, especially in the case of people who already fear such invaders.
Also, it is a well known problem, and has been for many years, that open beverages in motor vehicles commonly spill. Cars are now typically fitted with drink holders and the increasing popularity of drive-thru fast food increases the use of drinking containers in cars. Even prior to the inclusion of the cup holders as a standard feature in most vehicles, many people had aftermarket holders of various types and approaches to hold the containers at a convenient location and in a manner that was hoped to prevent spillage. Unfortunately many of these devices and the containers used with them don't prevent spillage, especially when the vehicle undergoes acceleration in various directions or deceleration.
When a spill occurs in a vehicle which is in motion, this typically distracts the vehicle operator. This is especially exemplified in the case of hot beverages burning the vehicle operator, but any spilling may equally affect concerned vehicle owners just the same. Such distractions may result in a collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian, either of which often result in the death of, or serious injury to, people involved.
Children and individuals with impaired motor skills may more often lose their grip on drinking vessels, and, even if the vessel is not dropped, the contents may be spilt. People who are multitasking while drinking, such as car operators often do, are also more likely to accidentally drop a drinking vessel. Also, such people do not benefit from overly complex and difficult to operate lid devices.
Although many attempts have been made to provide an easy to use, effective container and container top that prevents spillage, most or all suffer from continuing problems which proves this problem is not easily solved and thus advancements are sought after.
Some or all of the problems explained above and other problems may be helped or solved by the inventions shown and described herein. Such inventions may also be used to address other problems not set out above or which are only understood or appreciated at a later time. The future may also bring to light currently unknown or unrecognized benefits which may be appreciated or more fully appreciated in the future associated with the novel inventions shown and described herein.